


I love him

by Xantha



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I promise, M/M, My first fanfic ever, OOC- Maybe, POV First Person, POV Third Person, The Rookie Nine, Well only if you squint, but not for long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2018-12-10 07:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11686995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xantha/pseuds/Xantha
Summary: “I love him” was what he said to her, his voice just above the level of a whisper.‘Did he say ‘him’? I must have heard wrong, right? Shouldn’t it be ‘her’? And if it really is ‘him’, who would it be? Who could it be?’When Sakura met him that afternoon and made plan to meet him that night, it really wasn't what she thought would happen. But she'll do everything in her power to help her friend find his happy ending if it killed her.





	1. The Confession

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> This is the first time I'm ever writing something. I've had ideas before but never put them in words... So I'm quite happy with myself to finally putting down into words an idea of mine! As it is my first time ever to write something, my characters might be OOC but, yeah, that's how they came along, I wanted them to do something else but they wouldn't let me. Strange right? I had hear authors talking about that but never experienced it as I've never written before!
> 
> Soo, Sakura's a really good friend in this, well I think everyone will be. I'm not sure I didn't write everything yet xD
> 
> The idea came to me last night, and when I say last night it was at 23:30... I finished writting the first chapter at 5a.m. Didn't see the time passing...  
> As it is my first fic ever would really apreciate review even bad ones in order for me to improve myself! (So please lots of comments ;) )
> 
> Oh and one last thing, English is not my first language so if there are mistakes (and I'm sure there are some) please tell me so I can correct them ;)
> 
> So here you go! Enjoy! (or not, it's up to you)

“I love him” was what he said to her, his voice just above the level of a whisper.

She had been thinking back of when she had crossed path with Naruto earlier that day as they were both going back home, him, from a mission, and her, from her shift at the hospital. At first, he had looked really happy to be able to see her and talk to her in a long time -his mission had been a long one. But after a while of catching up he had suddenly turned nervous.

“Na, Sakura?” he had begun asking, seeming not really sure of himself.

“Hm, what is it Naruto?” She had said with a little mocking smile. It was not every day that you were seeing him revert back to a nervous little boy. But his half-serious, half-nervous face told her that he wanted to ask her something important for him. So she put all her attention to him.

“I really need to share something, I need to talk to someone. You’re my best friend, I want, no, I need to share it with you” He had explained with a sad voice.

She observed him then, for a little while, thinking, “Alright Naruto, what is it?” she asked him gently.

Looking nervously at his sides to the street full of people, he had asked her “Maybe we can go drinking tonight? Catch up with each other, talk about life?”

“Sure Naruto, why not?” she had gently answered him, understanding that he didn’t want to -or couldn’t- talk about it right now.

They then had made plans to meet in the early evening in order to eat before they went drinking. The meal with him had been nice, it was like in the old days, before the last war broke out. They didn’t talk about it, it hurt too much to remember what and who they had lost even if they had managed to finally bring Sasuke back home to them. So, it had been just idle chat that made both of them feel good and be themselves only.

After that, the bar Naruto brought her to was not the sort of bar where she thought Naruto would bring her. It was not the usual bar they went to to drink and play with the gang. It wasn’t even in the same street as all those night clubs and night bars they went to. It was quiet, solemn, not the kind Naruto would like, she had thought. ‘Maybe he searched for a bar that would allow us to talk without any disturbance?’ But it appeared she was wrong. He looked at her with a small smile.

“I like coming here.” He had told with something like a quiet joy in his eyes. “It’s a good place for drinking. I come here sometimes to think. I don’t like being home alone when I come back from missions or when life become a little too hard to continue like always. And I don’t want to drink my moods away. So… I come here, drink a glass or two, stay for a couple of hours and go back home. Nobody here will bother you as everybody comes here for the same thing.” He said to her, still with that smile, as if he was testing what her reaction would be. “What do you think of it?” He asked her.

“Yes, it seems like it would be that kind of place, nice and cozy,” she had replied not sure she had given him the answer he wanted. It had been the first time she had seen Naruto shared something intimate with her. Something that he had been hiding from everyone, from her. And she was calling herself his best friend, she hadn’t even known that he was coming to places like that to think. She hadn’t even known that he needed to come to place like this one in order to disconnect from the life and the people he knew.

But the bright smile he had given her had reassured her that she gave him the right answer. She was sad that he didn’t trust her enough to share his problem with her before. She had matured, she had changed from her irrational and irritating younger self. Even she thought of herself that way. Yes, she had been a horrible little brat. And a fangirl. She had grimaced at that thought, but then she had remembered why they were here and smiled. They were here because Naruto needed to talk and because he now trusted her enough to share that sanctuary of his with her and know that she wouldn’t betray his trust.

He had brought her to a table in a corner far enough from the other clients for them not to hear what he had to say. Sakura had just followed him and taken a sit. They had continued their light discussion from earlier. She had understood that he was not quite ready to share with her what he wanted. It had only been when their dinks had been there that Naruto had become quiet. He had seemed like he was struggling with himself, like he wanted to tell her something but was not quite ready yet. So, she had let him be and did not press him to tell her, he would in his own time, when he was ready. It was after their second glass that he had talked again. ‘I love him’ he had then said. And now, back we are in the present.

Sakura looked up from her beer,  startled. That sentence had woken her up from her reverie -that had begun a few minutes ago- like he had shouted or slapped her in the face. Only, that sentence was barely audible. It was not what she had thought would come out of their little drinking party that night. Absolutely not.

They were in a bar that was famous for having a cool and quiet atmosphere -according to Naruto; the music was just a pleasant background noise, not loud enough that it would cover conversations and as people came here to drink in silence there was not a lot of conversations. She thought that maybe she had heard him wrong. ‘Did he say ‘him’? I must have heard wrong, right? Shouldn’t it be ‘her’? And if it really is ‘him’, who would it be? Who could it be?’ she thought while frowning her brows. ‘Wait, Naruto’s in love with someone?’

But then, he talked again.

“Sakura, I don’t know what to do, I really do love him.” His voice sounded plaintive, desperate, nearly trembling like he was not quite crying yet but almost. And this time she really looked at him, like she never had before. His face had that expression she had back in their younger years, when she was still in love with that ungrateful teammate and friend of theirs. It was like the world was coming apart and you didn’t know what to do, it just kept crumbling and disappearing below your feet, and you had just enough strength to kept swaying on what was left of the floor. And his eyes, his eyes were like two never-ending wells of repressed feelings and hurts. Never before had she seen him like that, and she thought that, maybe, never before  _anyone_  had seen him like that. He was that happy-go-lucky kind of guy  _every day_  of his damn life. Oh, don’t get her wrong he had been sad before, but her best friend  _always_  found the best a desperate situation so as not to keep brooding and to continue smiling.

But now, now he seemed like he had touched the bottom of some internal abyss. It broke her heart to see him like that. Like he had lost all hope for something that had to do with ‘him’ she supposed, lost the will and dreams that had kept him going in his younger years. Like he lost the will to get back on his two feet. And that was so not like her blond friend that she began to hate ‘him’ for not understanding, for not knowing and for putting Naruto through that kind of despair.

“Who is ‘him’, Naruto?” she questioned with a soft voice not wanting him to close up when, apparently, it was the first time he was talking about it to someone, ever. “Do I know ‘him’?”

He nervously looked up from the bottom of his glass, and looked at her face searching. She didn’t know what he was he was looking for but, apparently, he found it because she saw him relax a bit right then.

“You’re not put off that it is a he, are you?” He stated more than asked her.

‘Ah’, she thought, ‘so that was what he was looking for on my face’. She smiled gently at him and said to him, still with a soft voice, “no, of course not. You still are the guy I met all those years ago and you still are my friend, my best friend. I would never judge you for that.”

As she spoke she could see the tension she didn’t know he had leaving him. He sighed and smiled at her sweetly. And she wondered again who could it be that he liked and made him feel that way. Her heart was hurting for him.

“So?” she asked again, “do you want to tell me who is the ‘him’ that you love or did you just need to be sure that I’ll never judge you?” she finished her sentence with a teasing wink at him which made him laugh a little. She smiled, proud that despite the tension at the beginning of his confession he was relaxed now.

“Yes, I want to tell you. I do, but it kind of get stuck and I can’t bring myself to say it aloud,” he explained sadly, looking in her eye. There she saw a million emotions being repressed. “I really need to tell someone, I’m going crazy as it is. I can’t keep it to myself anymore. I don’t know what to do, it’s hard. It really is hard. I hesitated so much, tell you or not tell you, I didn’t know what to do if you had judged me when I confessed I loved a man. A man I don’t know if he loves me back or not. You’re my closest friend and I can’t do without you. I don’t want to talk to Iruka, he’s like a father or a brother to me, it would be weird. Grandma, well it would be a strange discussion… Jiraya’s not here anymore and”

“Naruto, Naruto!” she cut him, he had tears in his blue eyes, never had she seen him like that. She had to stop his monologue and reassure him that it was okay, that she would be there for him whatever he confessed to her tonight, or another day if he couldn't right now. “I understand, really. You don’t have to justify yourself, you’re, as I already said, my best friend. It won’t change anything between us, I will still be there after you tell me, as you’ve always been there for me all these years since we’ve been put on the same team.” And again, it was as if a load had been lifted from his shoulder.

“Yes, okay” he said. Then she saw him open his mouth two to three time before he cleared his throat.

Twice.

He was so nervous, that he was beginning to make her nervous as well.

“It’s S-s…” Then again, he cleared his throat, looked at the bottom of his empty glass by now, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, chewed on his lips and said so quietly that she had to half-guess, half-read on his lips what he said after. “It’s Sasuke.”

Well, now that was something. She now understood why he was so hesitant to tell her in view of her past fangirl ship for him. But, curiously, she wasn’t all that surprised that Naruto liked him. When Sasuke left, lots of people wanted to bring him back but only three people really tried to do so. Including Kakashi, Naruto and herself. At that time, she had kind of forcibly made Naruto promise her to bring Sasuke back. She thought she was in love with him back then, but she soon understood it was only the worship of someone stronger than her, of someone she wanted to look like. At some point, she had kind of abandoned the idea of bringing Sasuke back, Kakashi as well. But not Naruto, never Naruto. No, he never gave up, always tried to bring him back to ‘her’ for the promise he had made to her, he had said. But now, now she knew that it was to hide his own feeling, feelings of love, real love.

And then she feels really bad, all this time he might have thought that she still ‘loves’ Sasuke. ‘How that must have hurt him’ she thinks while looking at him with sadness in her eyes. Looking at his face hidden behind his hair that had fallen in front of his eyes while looking at his glass, she continued her inside debate. ‘He seems so small like this, like when we were young, when no one wanted to play or even talk to him. It’s the same expression of dejection he wore on his face after he failed to make a clone at the exam…’

Naruto then looks at like with eyes that said he wanted to run away. It’s then that she gathered that she hadn’t talked and was just thinking. ‘I have to say something now, or else he’ll fly away’ she thought panicking.

“Naruto,” she began, “you know that I don’t love him anymore, right? I can even say that I was never in love with him.” As she saw him open his mouth to protest, she raised her hand to silence him, she was not done. “That's the truth, I admired him. I wanted to be as strong as him, to be able to protect my family, my friends. I thought I was in love but that was not the case, it was just me, being a fangirl. You don’t have to fear me, I will not try to steal him from you.” She said with a sweet smile. “As a matter of fact, I hadn’t had the occasion to tell you yet as you were away on a long mission, but Lee and I started dating.” She added with a dreamy smile. “I should have said yes before, he’s really sweet in his own way…”

“Sakura, I…” Naruto began. He was dumbstruck she could tell he had never thought of what she had just said.

“I should have known.” she cuts him, thinking aloud, looking at some people who just entered the room. “You were really set on bringing him back. You never strayed away from that goal. Back then too, when you said you loved me and tried to date me… That was you being jealous, right? Not of Sasuke, as I thought back then, but of me. I’m right aren’t I?” she asks him looking back at him. She reads it then, right on his face that all her previous statements where true. It was really easy to tell with him getting redder and redder from embarrassment. Again, she thought of what he must have had to endure with her being so oblivious, pushing him, accusing him… All this time, all this time he never had someone to talk to, to listen to him, to his struggles when he must have been confused. She swears in her head, really, she should have known, it’s so obvious now that she knows that she could hit her head on a wall.

Repeatedly.

For her stupidity.

An embarrassed Naruto is really cute she thinks smiling.

“Hum, well… Yes, you’re right. But back then I didn’t really know what those feelings I had were, but, indeed, I was jealous.” He voices, kind of mumbling his words. “But, hey! I didn’t know you and Lee were an item now! Congrats!” He states cheerfully.

“Thank you, but we’re not here to discuss about my relationship, are we?” she looks at him with a sharp gaze, knowing and showing him that she knows that he’s changing the focus of the conversation. He then laughs wholeheartedly and, even if it’s not really loud as to not disturb the other clients in the bar, she’s happy she managed to make him laugh.

“You are right of course,” he says more seriously, “but, you know? Just finally sharing it with someone is good. I feel lighter now, I’ve loved him for years and now that he’s back it’s… When he wasn’t here it was sometimes unbearable but now that he’s back, that he’s been pardoned, that he can go as he wants in Konoha, it’s like torture, and to tell it to someone, to voice it is… liberating in a way.” She nods, she can relate to that kind of feeling.

“So, more seriously, does he know you like him? Does he feel the same?” she asks, but as the words are pronounced, she knows it’s the wrong thing to ask, she can read on his face that it is not the case, for either of her question.

Or maybe just the first one. Who knows what Sasuke feel like? He is so reserved… She rethinks carefully of what happened when they were young. If Naruto has had a crush on Sasuke when they were twelve years old, then maybe Sasuke had felt something for him back then too? ‘Think, Sakura, think. Did something happen back then, something strange in Sasuke’s behavior? Something like Sasuke caring for Naruto when he declared that he hated Naruto that he wasn’t his friend? And since he’s back how is Sasuke, is he acting strange? Has he done something out-of-the-ordinary-for-Sasuke-Uchiha towards Naruto?’ Lost in her thoughts she misses Naruto’s answer. Who then looks at her in a strange way.

‘Think, Sakura, think…there must be something…’ And then it hits her like a tidal wave. “That’s it! That must be it! There is now way it cannot be!” She grins like a madman -or madwoman in her case- and looks up at Naruto in a very excited way. Naruto, who looks at her with concern.

“What is it?” she asks coming back on earth.

“Well… I should be asking you that question, you seemed list to the world just now, didn’t hear my answer to your question. Then you became so quiet it was kind of scary, and just now you just screamed: ‘That’s it! That must be it! There is now way it cannot be!’, so I’m kind of concerned really.” Naruto explained with a look that effectively said he was worried about her.

“I said that aloud?” was the only thing she offered him. “Sorry, sorry. I kind of got lost in my thoughts!” She grins, “So what was your answer?”

He gives her a strange look but repeat anyway, “No, I didn’t tell him, I can’t bring myself to tell him. I’m too afraid of his reaction, it’s Sasuke after all, what if it’s bad? And no, I’m sure he doesn’t see me in that light…”

She tsks at that, then looks at him and see that he’s back to glassy eyes and trembling voice. A single tear falls from his left eye and roll on his check. ‘Again’ she thinks, it’s breaking her heart to see him like that, devastated. She wants to cry for him. She stretches her arm and wipe his tear with tenderness. “Do not worry Naruto, I’m sure it will be okay. All will go well in the end, you’ll see. I’ll help you.”

“I don’t know Sakura, I don’t know… I don’t think I can hold on for too long. I want to leave Konoha, you know? I want to see the world at peace, I want to see it for myself. I already asked Grandma if I could leave for an undefined period of time. I’ll have the answer next week.” He says fixing the door of the shop but not really looking. For her, it looked like as if he was already gone on a journey from where he would never come back.

She couldn’t let him do that. She promises to him silently, but also to herself, to do whatever she can to help him.


	2. The Ally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello everyone,
> 
> I hope you didn't wait too long.  
> I didn't think writing could be such a struggle, I did tell you that it was my first fic ever? Well now I know what it is when authors say that their characters didn't do what they wanted them to do. It kind of happened to me too. xD But it was not the end of my struggle, oh no!  
> First those beloved characters did whatever they wanted  
> Second I was not happy with the chapter. I rewrote it three time with a fourth time spend rewriting only bits of it... And then editing to check any forgotten words and mistakes. But again, english is not my first language so please be indulgent when reading.
> 
> Lastly, I wanted to thank all of you who read, left kudos and commented my fic even if there is not a lot a you, it made my heart beat and grow big in my chest. Thank you!
> 
> Well, I think I spoke enough for now, go ahead and read the second chapter.  
> Enjoy!

The next morning, when Sakura wakes up, she rethinks of Naruto’s confession. Of _all_ of his confessions. Solutions had to be found. For his relationship as well as for him leaving the village. The way Naruto appeared to her last night was of someone who had lost hope. But she knew for _certain_ from what he had told her that he didn’t even _try_.

Naruto didn’t try to make it better, to make it work. He just gave up and that was so _wrong_. He was the guy that never gave up on Sasuke, always believing that he could bring him back, would bring him back. Even if Sakura now knew that that stubbornness of his came from his love for Sasuke. But it was not the only occurrence of Naruto’s stubbornness, only the most blatant one.

But last night, he seemed to have given up on everything, seemed to just want to go away, to forget all of that suffering he was feeling. Sakura could not let him go down that path. Naruto was just not made that was. He faced everything that came his way, never going down, always charging ahead, always making the best of every desperate situation he was in, changing everyone and everything around him. The guy she saw was not someone she knew, he was a stranger. He was Naruto getting thrown to the ground an umpteenth time by life and not trying to get up again, not wanting to get up again, too tired to get up again. Well, if he could not get up on his own she would come to him and get him on his own two feet again. She will support him and then, when he’ll be steady enough, she will gently push him on his back on the right path, the path that Naruto wanted more than anything but didn’t dare hope for right now.

That path she’ll create it for him, for his happiness. Naruto more than deserved to be happy.

Sakura will not let him deal with this alone, his was _not_ alone. So many people wanted to help him and he didn’t even know that. Those same people he kept saving again and again for years and wanted nothing more than to repay him.

He didn’t ask for her help but she will give it to him anyway. He didn’t ask for his friends’ help but he will get it anyway.

No way will they let him walk away from them, from the village, in that state of mind. It was not healthy.

“I’ll make sure everyone who can help you will help you even if, for now, they are not yet aware of it.” she promises herself with a devilish smile on her face as she goes on preparing for the day. “But first I need to talk to Ino.”

She needed her view on the ‘illumination’ she had when talking to Naruto yesterday. She had to know if it was just wistful thinking of if Ino had sawn the same things as her. She smiles at her reflection in the mirror. When she had the confirmation of her suspicion she’ll get everyone to work on what was sure to be a busy seven days. She knew it all depended on that thought she had and those following after that, but she couldn’t think of any kind of negative answers on Ino’s part. She didn’t want to, and until she was told that she was becoming crazy by everyone in Konoha, she will stick with her feeling.

“But for now…” she said checking the time and wincing a little, she was running late for her morning shift at the hospital. She couldn’t not go, even if she wanted to. It was something she prided herself with, to always be there on time, to never be absent unless she was on a mission or herself in a bed in that very same hospital. However, she only worked that morning meaning she had all of the afternoon free to start making things move.

 

“Ino, where’s Ino? She was supposed to have the day off today but I can’t find her anywhere, dammit!” Sakura complained.

She already checked her house, the store, the training grounds and Tsunade to see if she had not left on a late notice mission. God dammit! She was nowhere. It was like Ino vanished from the surface of the earth. The day was already well under way as it was and she didn’t have a minute to waste.

“I don’t have time for hide and seek for god’s sake!” she groaned. Then suddenly, in the crowded street, she saw black hair, maybe that’s… Sai! And next to him must be…

“Ino!” Sakura shouted desperate to be heard and make her stop. “Ino!” she repeated when her blond friend didn’t hear her the first time.

 

Ino stopped and looked behind her to see who was calling for her. What surprise it was when it turned out to be Sakura calling her with a bit of a desperate voice. It was not often that one could hear her like that. But, well, sometime her antics were inexplicable.

“I need to talk to you it’s urgent. It cannot wait!” was what she was greeted with as Sakura gripped her arm. Ino winced at that, her vis-à-vis not checking her strength.

“Is something wrong? Is it a mission?” Ino inquired, it seemed to be the only logical reason for Sakura’s urgent tone.

“No, it’s not and nothing’s wrong. At least not wrong in the sense you’re thinking about.” Sakura panted.

It seemed to Ino that she had been running for quite a while searching for her but well, Sakura was being kind of rude right now and she was on a date. She didn’t like to be interrupted on a date.

“In that case Sakura, hello to you too, how am I today? Oh, very good thank you, and you?” She said sarcastically. “Unfortunately, as you can see, I’m quite busy today, I’m currently on a date, which I’d like to go back to eventually. As soon as possible even. And if I remember correctly, from what you told me only _yesterday_ , you had one today too.” She stressed, jerking her arm out of Sakura’s hold.

“That was true. Until yesterday night. I learned something then that could not wait _. At all_ . So I cancelled my plans. And in order to help someone, I absolutely need your help right now. And I, no, _we_ need to act as soon as possible, we don’t have a lot of time to help them and if I fail, if we fail I don’t know what could happen to them.”

Sakura’s tone was urgent -really urgent- and pleading. Ino could only count on one hand the numbers of time Sakura had been like that and usually it was for a very good reason. It worried her, so she nodded, said sorry to Sai and followed a Sakura that seemed greatly relieved at her rather easy acceptance.

 

Sakura had lead them to her house, most likely to be sure that they won’t be interrupted Ino guessed. When inside she was lead to the kitchen, showed a chair by the table to sit on and tea was made. All that in silence, only interrupted by the noise from the teapot.

By now, it had been more than ten minutes they had been sitting at the table, opposing each other, sipping their tea. And Sakura had been looking at the bottom of her tea cup since then.

That silence was becoming deafening, what was so important but so difficult to say that it seemed Sakura became mute? It had seemed something rather significant when Sakura approached her back in the street, but now she seemed lost at where to begin so Ino decided to begin.

“Sakura…” she began softly but, apparently, not softly enough as Sakura whipped her head up, startled out of thoughts, but now that Ino had her attention she continued. “Sakura, what did you want to tell me? For what did you need my help?”

“Yes, right, sorry, I just needed a few minutes to think about what to say first.” Was her explanation for her silence. She took on a serious expression. “I know where to begin now, but first I need you to promise me something.”

At that Ino could only nod her head in agreement as she waited for what that promise would be about.

“What I’m about to tell you is not my secret to tell, I’ve been entrusted with something yesterday that I know I shouldn’t tell anyone but in order to do something about that situation, I need your help. So, I’m going to tell you and maybe after that, if the things I’m thinking about seems believable to you and are not just the produce of my imagination, we’ll need the help of everyone.”

Ino looked straight at Sakura’s face, talk about talking in riddle, if that wasn’t, then she didn’t know what a riddle is. But really, ‘produce of her imagination’? it seemed like something she didn’t want to be involved in but, oh well, it was for a friend so…

“I promise you that I will not repeat what you’re about to say to anyone for as long as you need me to keep quiet.” Ino promised Sakura, while holding her gaze to show her seriousness.

Sakura glared right back at her searching for something and when she found it Sakura’s stance relaxed a little. Silence fell on them once more and Ino poured herself and Sakura another cup of tea. After they both drank from it Sakura began talking again.

“Yesterday afternoon, just after we separated, I ran into a friend of ours…” she began to tell Ino.

Ino frowned, well it will take a while if Sakura didn’t tell her who that “friends of their” was. She understood that Sakura wanted to keep their identity hidden for now but it would be hard to understand that way and even harder to replace everything she was being told now after she would be told the name. Oh well, she’ll just have to go with it for now, she’ll understand later. Only the story she was being told was more confusing than anything else.

The only thing she understood in all that confused explanation was that one of their common friend was in love with someone he or she (?) could not have and that that person was depressed but she didn’t think it needed such a panic from Sakura’s part. She could understand that someone could be depressed over love but what was the rush? Couldn’t they just take their time helping their friend? Ino really couldn’t understand why Sakura making such a big deal of that.

“Wait, Sakura,” Ino cut Sakura’s explanation, “wait, I tried, really I tried, to understand why it’s such an important matter that one of our friends is depressed over love but I can’t. Who is that friend? You didn’t even say! And why is it so urgent as you said when you came to me? Explain.” She commended, she didn’t have time for trifles.

Sakura seemed taken aback.

“I didn’t tell you who it was?” she paused, then mumbled “No wonder she seemed bored…” Then she addressed her, “I’m sorry I was sure I told you, must have been too lost in my explanation…”

“Must have been, yes.” Ino replied a little bit amused by Sakura’s behavior.

“I’ll explain first the reason why it’s so urgent, we only have one week before he vanishes from our lives and I fear that it will be for good.”

Ino nodded confirming her understanding of the situation, now understood why it was ‘urgent’. However, the most interesting word in that sentence was the “he” Sakura used. So it was a boy who thought he didn’t have a chance with his sweetheart. Which one of our boy? All of them could pretty much have whatever girl they wanted. She was losing the little interest she had in the matter, it was really dumb… She didn’t bother guessing who the boy was as Sakura would tell her in a few seconds.

Sakura was observing her, her face like an open book, and she saw the moment Sakura understood that she was losing her interest in the matter. Sakura’s face became determined like she knew what she’ll say next would bring back her interest. Ino doubted it.

“The guy I’ve been talking to you about, it’s Naruto. He’s the one that wants to leave next Monday. He’s the one who’s in love and want to leave because of that.” Sakura dropped like a bomb, smiling a little when seeing the reaction she got from Ino.

An angel passed and then, well it certainly did bring back her interest in the matter, but…

“Wait, wait, wait… Are you telling me that our Naruto, the guy who’s the happiest guy I know is depressed over love? And that love is enough to drive him away from Konoha, like permanently? Konoha, the village he wants to be the Hokage to?” She repeated felling the beginning of laugh and trying to suppress it. Sakura would kill her if she dared laugh right now when she seemed so serious. But really, where did she get those idea from, a dream? So to try to control that laugh she continued in Sakura’s sense a little bit more “It doesn’t make any sense! I mean, he could have any girl he wants without doing as much as batting an eyelash! Who is it, who does he love? Maybe he’s just being over dramatic or something…” She proposed, she couldn’t imagine Naruto like that, she just couldn’t. Like, at all. It simply was not possible. She saw him just two days ago and he seemed _fine_ , he seemed _good_ , like his normal happy self!

“Well, I can hear what you’re thinking, you know? I had the same thoughts yesterday when he told me. But it appears that he is a better actor and liar than what all of us thought.” She lets that statements sinks into Ino’s head for a while. It still seemed unreal to Ino but well, she could make an effort, right?

“Okay, so if what you’re saying to me is true, why would you need my help? I don't know how I can be of any help to you. I mean, he is Naruto, “the hero” of the last war, he has literally every girl in the Konoha wanting to be his girlfriend right now. Why not just talk to her or something?”

That tea pot was empty by now, so she helped herself to the stove to make another batch. When everything was running she returned to her place and faced Sakura again. A Sakura who seemed to not know what to do or say to convinced her, she supposed, and was sighing.

“If only it was so simple, I’d already have talked to the girl you know.” Ino send her a surprised look, well that made sense, she was Sakura after all. “This is where I need your help, I think that person might love him too, but as they both are the most stubborn people I have the honor of kno… it might be really difficult to bring them together in less than four days…”

“Wait, what? _Four days_ ?! Didn’t you say _a week_ just before? You want us to bring two idiots in four days? And why four days?!” Ino exclaimed, dumbfounded, it was getting better and better...

“Because, Naruto said he’ll have the authorization to leave the village on Monday, and as I know him I’m he’ll have his pack ready by then. And the person he loves also happen to be on a long mission and will fortunately be back before that but only on Wednesday night, which means that we only have from Thursday to Sunday to ensure that they are together.” Sakura grunted not really happy with the time they had to “arrange” everything. “And as Tsunade has a soft spot for him, he is sure to have his wish granted, which is to be allowed to roam free for however long he wants. I fear that that “however long” will be forever with how he was yesterday, or at least a long, _long_ time.” Sakura’s sad face was what greeted her as she looked up from her empty tea cup.

As Ino opened her mouth the tea pot she had placed on the stove made noise saying it was ready, she got up to get it, put some leaves in and got back to her place, serving Sakura and herself.

“So we only have about three days to think of a plan to bring them together in four days. Seems hard.” Ino thought aloud while finally sitting down. “But feasible. Okay, I understand, we’ll need the help of the others, you already thought of a plan, right?” She asks Sakura which nods to confirm her suspicion. She decided then to help her, well Naruto really. “Okay, I’m in, I’ll help you and your crazy plan, but you still need to tell me who’s the girl and stop beating around the bush. And if it’s Hinata, I’ll kill you because there is no need for our help and you’ve just wasted both of our time.” She said with a hard and dark look directed at Sakura.

“No, it’s not Hinata. I wouldn’t have come to you if she was the one.” Sakura snorted. “You remember me telling I needed your help for the part of the other person? To confirm if I’m not just imagining thing?” As Ino nods, she drops the other bomb she had which was sure to render Ino speechless. “Well, it’s someone that you know well from when we were little, both you and I used to have a crush on _him_.” Sakura continued stressing the him to be sure Ino got it. There was no need just the him without being stressed was enough. She registered then that Naruto was in love with a guy, well that complicated things a bit right no… Then it hit her what Sakura had just said and as she understood she could feel her eyes grow to the size of saucers.

“Sasuke, he’s in love with Sasuke.” Ino murmurs. After a minute of silence of her taking it all in and she really needed that minute, Sakura confirmed to her what she had guessed already guessed, she sighs.

Ino took a big breath in, it was certainly more interesting than what she first thought of. “I understand, what do you need my help for?”

Sakura sigh from relief at her acceptance. “I thought about something yesterday as I was talking to Naruto. I was thinking about how all this years we didn’t know that he loved him and…”

“Years? He’s been in love with him for years?” Ino cuts her.

“Yeah, it appears that he began to have a crush on him since our academic days. So, as I’ve been saying, if Naruto could hide it from us for all this years, I thought that, _maybe_ , Sasuke could be the same. He does have a face that doesn't show anything if he doesn't want to… I want you to think back of everything Sasuke did concerning Naruto before he left _and_ after he was back. You were “in love” with him back then, as I was, maybe you saw thing that you disregarded as nothing, just like I did.” She says that last past quietly gripping her tea cup and bowing her head a bit towards it. “I know you didn’t see him often either now or back then, but think carefully please, it’s important. I need to know if the thing I thought about are real or just my wish.”

“You know it’s Sasuke, right? He’s never expressed even the littlest of interest in someone…” But Ino nods anyway and begin to think of what they were like back then. Before she could immerse herself in her memories Sakura put a notebook and a pen in front of her. Ino looked up to Sakura with interrogations in her eyes.

“I want you to write down everything you’re thinking of even if it seems stupid. I already did that with my own memories and I don’t want to influence you as you go.” She explains before going to door. She lingers a bit at the doorstep to look one last time at Ino who vaguely saw her as she was already concentrating on the task that had been given to her. After a few seconds, Sakura goes out of the room to leave her alone.

 

Ino puts the pen down and look critically at what she wrote. Some of that stuff seems so silly it would have make her laugh until she was rolling on the ground had someone told her even one item of that list, but, well, Sakura did say to write down what she thought may indicate if Sasuke felt something for Naruto. That thought made her snort, really Sasuke, in love with someone? What’s more, with Naruto? That seemed surreal. She couldn’t even come around with the fact that Naruto was in love with Sasuke. It didn’t feel right somehow. But well, who was she to judge him? The heart had its reason that the reason ignores, so… She sighs and stands up determined to go find Sakura. She goes to looks at the clock but her gaze fall on the window instead. She can’t quite understand what her brain is telling her, the moon is shining and the sky is dark, the sun was nowhere to be seen. Her gaze finally continued to the clock and she paused for a moment, she had been writing that silly piece of paper for an hour and a half. Ino didn’t think it would take her so much time to write those things down, there wasn’t that much. She grimaced when she looked down one last time at the paper in her hand before going to look for Sakura.

She finds Sakura in her living room writing something with a very contemplative look on her face. She didn’t even hear her approach, it was something that hadn’t happen in a long time. To make her presence known she cleared her throat.

At that sound Sakura was startled. It was clear now that she hadn’t heard Ino come in and particularly come this close to her. It could have been dangerous had it been an enemy. Ino saw Sakura getting back her composure before she addressed her.

“Finished?” Sakura extended her hand in a movement clearly saying she wanted to look at what Ino had written.

“Yes I am.” Ino gave her the piece of paper. “But seriously, I don’t think anything that I’ve written there will be of any use to you. It’s so absurd that even I don’t believe I’ve written it, and it’s clearly my handwriting.”

“It sure is.” Sakura snorted reading the first few lines. But then Ino saw her attitude change and a smile holding some hope coming to her lips. She didn’t have to wonder long about what had made Sakura change her attitude.

“Ino, please come here. I want you to describe to me what you remember of that event. From the beginning.” Sakura asked with an excited voice.

“Well you already know what happened, Naruto was being his annoying self again, taking a fight with Sasuke. He was crouching on the desk in front of Sasuke and someone pushed him from behind by accident. He ended up falling forward and kissing Sasuke. That’s all.”

“You wouldn’t have written that if you thought it was “all”.” Sakura stated, sure of her.

Ino hesitated, “well no, but it sounds so… _weird_.” She said for lack of a better word to describe the feeling she had remembering it.

“I know, but tell me anyway.”

“Hum, well… First Naruto made a big scene of that kiss saying he hated it and all but he was a little red in the face and seemed quite shocked. Like he didn’t hat it as much as he said?” She said, more thinking aloud than telling it to Sakura.

“Okay, what about Sasuke?”

“At first he seemed like he wanted to puke and kept spitting like it was the worst thing that happen to him in the whole wide world. But then as you were beating Naruto up for that accident, everyone had their eyes on you but I kept looking at Sasuke.” Ino stopped there, not sure wether to continue or not but Sakura again pressed her.

“And?”

“Well, he had seemed deep in thought and… happy?” She frowned there. “Yes… happy. He was a little red too even if he hid it well when the commotion stopped. I also saw him touch his lips lightly before he made a show of wiping them. Back then I thought he was angry but now that I think about it he seemed more dreamy than anything else…” The shout Sakura let out cutting Ino from her memory made her jump, even if she’d never admit to anyone that that shout had frightened her.

“YEES! I KNEW IT!, I was right! I was right!” Sakura chanted.

“…Huh?”

“And all those other things make so much more sense now!” Sakura laughed and Ino looked at her like she had lost her mind.

“Hum, Sakura? Care to explain please?” Ino demanded, starting to get annoyed at Sakura’s attitude.

It took several minutes for Sakura to calm down, stop muttering to herself and finally answering Ino.

Sakura began searching for something on the table as she was speaking. “Well, remember that I had made a list myself? I put a little more details to it than you but anyway, look.” She ordered her shoving a piece of paper in her hand. Ino took it a little bit annoyed a being order around and looked at the paper. Her eyes went wide when she saw the details of each events. Events from when there was still a team seven, from fights from their encounter with Sasuke after he left, from when he came back and so on. It was one hell of a detailed list. She then saw what Sakura wanted her to see and looked up to see Sakura grin at her.

“You saw the same thing as me back then?”

“Well, yes but as I was occupied by hitting Naruto I wasn’t so sure of myself. A big part though was I who didn’t want to acknowledge it, I did love him duh.”

“It seems as if you are very sure of everything you wrote down with the level of detail of every occurrence? Why did you need my help then?”

“I told you, I need a second opinion to be sure I’m not imagining thing and as what you’ve written with the other items concord with what I know, we can say for sure that Sasuke feels something for Naruto!” She said excitedly.

Ino sighed, “Really Sakura, it’s not because we saw the same thing that we can draw hasty conclusion. It could be anything else, like he was so angry he became red or something.”

“No.” Sakura cut. “I’m sure of it. That kiss back then was the beginning for both their feelings. What happened next, all those things I saw on our mission and for the Chunin exams, it was only the continuation of their growing feelings.”

“Maybe,” Ino sighed, “but in the eventuality that Sasuke did have some sort of feeling for Naruto back then, it doesn’t mean that he still feels the same!”

“Tut, tut ,tut. I already thought about that. Think, why did Sasuke come back after all this time, after all those fight, all the suffering he went through? After the last battle with Naruto he could have left, turned his back on us and never come back, but did he? No. He stayed.” Sakura maintains. “And didn't you write that Sasuke seems kinder and gentler when he’s only with Naruto and think no one is looking?”

“It could be for something else really, it does not mean that he’s in love with Naruto!” Ino shouts at her. “God, even saying that is strange. That Naruto is in love with Sasuke is already weird but thinking about Sasuke in love with Naruto is weirder!”

Sakura gives her a look that could kill on the spot. “What’s so strange about that, that they love each other, that they are guy? I thought you were better than that Ino.” She spits to her.

Ino looks at her dumbfounded. Never did she saw Sakura like that. “I’m sorry, that not what I meant…”

“Then what did you mean by that? Naruto has the right to be in love with anyone he wants, he’s made enough sacrifices to last his whole life time. He has the right to be with whomever he wishes. As for Sasuke, one could think he doesn’t have any feelings but if that was really the case, would he have gone after his brother, would he have let Naruto leave that first time at the Valley of the End? He had to kill his best friend or more to wake the Mangekyô Sharingan. More than that, would he have fought with us in the war? Would he have come back to us who he discarded all those years ago?” As Sakura went on with each and every argument her voice was getting louder, nearly screaming at the end of it.

“I’m sorry, it’s not I what I meant by saying that! I only meant that after Naruto chased you for years, it never came to me that he would like men. As for Sasuke I don’t see him having such strong feeling for anyone, sure he mays have friends now but I don’t see him being kind and/or sweet to someone, that’s all I meant by that, I swear!” Ino defended herself.

Sakura looked at her searching for a lie and relax when she saw the sincerity in her eyes. Ino sighed from relief when she saw her relax. An angry Sakura and more than that, a Sakura angry at you could very well mean that you’d spend the next six month in a hospital bed with Sakura making sure you’d heal as slowly as she was able to make you heal.

“Sorry, I’m quite touchy when it comes to those two. Even more now that before as I know Naruto will be gone in a few days…” she sighed sadly.

Both girls took the time to take some deep breaths in order to calm down.

“Okay,” said Ino breaking the silence they were in. Looking at the time she winced, Sakura came to her late that afternoon and now it was already late at night. Anything Sakura had thought of would have to wait tomorrow. But she had to know what will be their next action, so she asked. “What do we do now, do you have a plan?”

“I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it's me again.  
> I just wanted to say that I do now how I want it to end, I do now what I want to happen but I don't really now how to write it yet and unlike Sakura who has a plan I didn't find it yet! xD
> 
> So please be patient with me until I can write something I'm happy with.  
> Until next time,  
> Kiss everyone!  
> (Ps: if you saw any mistake please tell me so I can correct them!)


	3. The Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,  
> I know it's been a long time but college was hell for the last few months. Now, I've only got one week and two exams left. The big project that took all my time is finally finished! Yay! You don't know how happy I am about that.  
> Anyway, that chapter was difficult for me to write because I wanted it to be in the third person POV but I didn't manage it. So It will be a first person POV. I hope it doesn't bother you too much. And for those that wanted it to be an all third person POV fic. Sorry about that :/  
> But! At least you have a new chapter after 6 month!
> 
> For those of you who had read the story already, I've done some minor editing on the first two chapters because I wasn't happy about them. But if you don't want to, you don't have to read them again, it won't have any impact on the story.
> 
> I hoope you like it even if it's different from the first two chapters and it's so short (sorry about that).
> 
> Well, I think I've talked enough and you can go on to the story.
> 
> Please leave comments and/or kudos if you like the story!
> 
> Kiss everyone

The last few days have been a succession of strange things. And it all began when he came back home.

 

When he finally had Konoha in sight the day of his return, it had been like every other time he came home after a mission, Sasuke felt like he could finally breathe again.

He took a deep breath in, held his breath then let it out. He felt purified somehow, to be able to smell the scent of Konoha again. He took a side glance at his teammate of the mission, Shikamaru, to see if the sight of the village made him feel the same. However, as always, only a bored look was on his face, while he yawned.

 

Soon their mission will be over, soon their initial report to the Hokage will be done, soon his senses will, once again, be put to rest - for a time at least.

_ Soon he will see him _ .

 

However, it didn't go as he had thought it would. Indeed, those strange things began the minute he came back - not that he knew it when he stepped into Konoha. 

A short while after the village came into their view, Shikamaru and him went through the gates. The first thing he noticed was that, despite the late hour, a great many people were still out in the streets. Looking around, he was reminded as to why.

Soon will be the festival celebrating the end of the last war and it's heroes. Which, for his great dismay, disbelief and disdain, included him, even if it was subdued from the attention others were getting - he was, after all, an ex-criminal. Not that it bothered him to not be a ‘popular hero’. The more they didn’t follow him like the groupies they were when he was younger, the better. 

A side look to Shikamaru was enough for an understanding between them to pass. As one, they took the roof road to go to the Hokage Tower.

And  _ that _ was the real beginning of days of strange happenings. 

 

The first one being that, even though he could feel vaguely feel Naruto’s chakra in the village, he couldn’t find him anywhere. He wasn’t there at the gate when he came back, which was unusual as he was  _ always _ there unless he was on a mission, which he wasn’t - information he had thanks to Tsunade. Then he couldn’t find him anywhere in Konoha. It was like Naruto was avoiding him. Which was strange. Usually Naruto would be the one stuck to his side the minute the two of them were in the village together, not that he complained. Well, only a little but that was only for the sake of his public image, he didn’t want people knowing him and nobody had to know he was playing a role beside Naruto. And so, the fact that Naruto hadn’t been there when he went through the gates of Konoha and that he couldn't find him anywhere even after he sought-after him - not that he’ll admit it to anyone - was a very odd occurrence. 

 

The second occurrence had been when Shikamaru and he went to give their report to Tsunade. The Hokage had been more ‘normal' with him for quite a while, like she finally considered him a trusted ninja from Konoha and not someone who would betray the village at any time. But the night he came back it was like her trust in him had been broken, she looked at him with suspicion and… resentment? Which was strange. 

The thing about making a report to the Hokage in the middle of the night was that one was never sure in what condition they’ll find their Hokage.

Sometimes you’ll find her doing her some paperwork that she was fishing from the several paper towers that buried her desk and its surroundings. Somehow those towers never seemed to decrease, it was a wonder, really. Sometimes you’d find her sleeping on the sofa next to her desk, some other times you’d find her smuggling a bottle or more of sake, and occasionally you’ll find her waiting for you like you were responsible for all her overtime, the peace between the countries going bad or you were responsible for beginning another war. Well, guess what day it was that day.

Upon entering her office, Sasuke had found himself under such a gaze and he didn’t know why.

“How was the mission?” Tsunade asked. 

As the minutes passed and Shikamaru and him filled her in about the mission he understood that her gaze was more calculating, almost like she was observing a mouse for an experiment. That gaze was really creepy, one could expect anything from her when she was like that.

Tonight, however, it seemed that all her heated gazes were focused on him which he didn’t like and didn’t understand as, obviously, he had been absent from the village for a few weeks. He was quite good at the poker face thing so his discomfort didn’t show on his face but it was strange all the same

By the end of the report he was quite uncomfortable - again he’ll never show it in any of his actions. He had no idea what he did to deserve that stare.

But it changed after their report, when he asked after Naruto. That piercing gaze warmed up and a smirk bloomed on her face. And that was strange.

He learned that Naruto was indeed in the village but not why he wasn’t here - he was always near the tower when Sasuke came back. When all was done and said about the mission and Naruto, she threw them out of her office and yelled that she wanted to see him on Monday before sunrise.

In the end she didn’t give him any information about Naruto. 

 

The third one was more about a multitude of strange things than only one. It came in the form of the people that considered him their friend, that he considered friend too, making time to talk to him. He saw nearly all of them in two short days when he normally would in at least a couple of weeks. And, at the risk of repeating himself again, strange. 

 

It still felt strange to have a place he could call a home again but, for him, it wasn’t much the place that made him feel like that but more its people. Well, only some of its people, he still didn’t trust anyone in the council and the likes, having done what they have, but some people deserved and earned his trust over the years. Those people who he had betrayed once but who gave him their forgiveness. The people who before his departure, all those years ago, he never looked at but who became his friends. He didn’t really know how it became like this.

At first, after his last battle with Naruto he had been kept in the hospital for obvious reason; Naruto and he nearly managed to kill each other. It was thanks to it that, somehow, he finally understood that feelings were not all that bad after all, that Naruto thinking of him as a friend was something he was quite happy for but something was still not right. That friendship that he had buried deep inside him when he left Konoha at thirteen was deeper. That’s when Sasuke remembered why he had placed a suggestion on himself in the first place and when it came to an end, adding to his regrown feelings.

Then after the hospital it had been the prison and interrogations. Well, it had been a formality more than anything else as he could have escaped whenever he wanted and they couldn’t read his mind so he only told them what he wanted them to know. After a month or two of that - he wasn't sure - and Konoha not getting anything else out of him, Tsunade came to visit and told him his sentence will be known in the next few days.

He had resigned himself to die, that’s why when they announced that his sentence was that he had to work for Konoha for free for a year but not as a ninja, that during that one year he could not leave the village and he’ll have constant supervision - meaning Anbu and Jounin looking at his every move - to say that he was surprised from the light sentence was an understatement. He knew that somehow someone pleaded in his favor and succeeded in making him an asset in the eyes of those old goat, he just knew that a hyperactive blond was that someone.

Well, maybe he did know how it all came to this, to him being pardoned and have his ninja status being reinstated; It was all thanks to that dumb blond head who had called him his friend for all those years, even when he was mad with revenge, and never gave up on him.

 

Going back to the last couple of days, it was nice to see his friends, talking to them, really it was. Even if he didn’t show it.

But, they all came to me one after another, asking questions, observing him. He couldn’t do anything without one of them popping out of nowhere. At first it was only the girls from the rookie nine. Then, the guys from the same teams started appearing too.

Ino came first, talking while he listened and ‘hn-ed’ at her while walking through Konoha in search of Naruto.

It was like they were back to being genin where she would follow him along with Sakura for hours on end, talking about being with him. The more she stayed with him, the more irritated at her he became. He was this close to snap at her when suddenly, after another one of her question, she looked at him like she had found something. She smiled sweetly - it was so sweet it hurt-, waved him goodbye and went away before he could register it.

After her came Sakura and Hinata. Their visit went by the same way it had for Ino. Only, Hinata didn’t say anything, she only glared at him with what he could swear was murdering intent.

So, Sakura talked, Hinata glared and he listened and talked to Sakura, ignoring the other girl until, like with Ino, Sakura seemed satisfied with herself, smiled at him brightly, waved at him and disappeared taking Hinata with her.

When he finally went to go to Naruto’s apartment, which was quite far now that he had been lead around Konoha by the girls, Choji spotted him. 

He grunted internally, it was always a bad idea to find him at that time. It was lunch time. And when Choji was with you at lunch time you couldn’t escape him.

As he thought, he was lead to a restaurant which Choji was singing endless praises for.

Like the other three that morning, Choji kept talking until he seemed satisfied. But, unlike the others, he stayed with him until he seemed bored to do just that and left.

That afternoon, night, next day and the one after that were spent in the same fashion.  He didn’t get any time to himself or to even go in search of Naruto. 

When he did got time to go find Naruto, he didn’t find him anywhere; the training grounds were empty, Ichiraku hadn’t seen him in a week, his apartment was missing him and some of his stuff.

The more he searched, the more frustrating he became. Especially with how everyone seemed determined to talk to him about Naruto and any part of the life he lead while he was still a missing nin. Not that he told them anything. 

It was irritating him more than anything. He didn’t want to talk about his past with them. The only person he was comfortable with talking about it to was Naruto. They had begun to talk about what happened to each other while they were separated, what they went through, what they felt… they were still a lot to talk about, truths to be unveiled by one or the other. But not by someone else than the two of them.

The more they talked, the more he was thinking about Naruto, the more he was frustrated - angry? - at his friends that were keeping him from Naruto, the more irritated he became not to find Naruto, the more tense he became.

And so, now here they were, Saturday night, going to a bar along Shikamaru. “Troublesome” he had said when he came to drag him to the ‘party’. It was clear that he had been forced by someone (Sakura) to come and get him to join “everyone” as Sakura said “Naruto will be there too”. He doubted it, not only had his friends been keeping him from finding Naruto, but  _ Naruto  _ had been avoiding him for three days. 

But then when arriving at the bar, the only thing he saw was bright blond hair.

He was here. Naruto was  _ here. _ Finally, when Naruto turned to him and smiled, he could relax, it didn’t show on his actions or anything but he did. Even if he could see that something was wrong with him.

It didn't matter, tonight he’ll find why Naruto had been avoiding him and more importantly why he had that deep suffering in his eyes that he was trying to hide by being cheerful. Something he hadn't seen in a long time. 


	4. The Reason

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> So sorry for the wait. (Again)  
> It is kind of difficult to make myself write when I just know what all the charaters in my story is doing in my head. The story is finished there but writting it is another story. I don't know for anyone else but for me it take like a long time to just write something when I already know what happens and how it finishes.  
> But that's not all, did you know that we have some really, really good stories here on AO3? I knew and I know, I read instead of writting too. (Bad me).
> 
> Well anyway, again the following chapter came as you'll read it, I wanted just one POV and you'll get multiple ones (sorry). It might be a bit confusing because of that but I like it like that and I still hope you will like it.
> 
> And like previously I want to say that all mistakes are mine and if you find some please tell me so I can correct it. 
> 
> Don't forget to leave Kudos and comments if you like the story, it makes me really happy :)
> 
> Bye everyone!
> 
> PS: I upgraded this fic in teen and up, just to be safe because there is alcohol in this chapter (if you squint)

As Sasuke entered the place, he could see that the “party” was held in a nightbar.

Well, not really a nightbar. But maybe a mix of a bar and a nightbar.

The place was disposed in a rectangular shape, the main and only entrance, from where he came through, was on one of the small sized wall. Along the wall on his right side was where people were going to for a drink if he believed the number of people by square meter there was there. At the far end of the room he could see the dance floor with tables and chairs, all occupied by some groups of people he didn’t recognized, pushed to the wall to make the most place to dance. Dance floor which was nearly overflowing with people dancing and doing some stupid things. On the center left side of the room several pool tables where positioned - currently, it was where the majority of the people were, after the bar side and then dance floor. Along all the walls were benches, tables and chairs - where some were currently vacant but reserved if he believed all the jackets and bags he could see. Some benches and tables were also between the bar and the pool tables.

He also knew just from the sheer number of people present that night that what Shikamaru had reported to him to be ‘just a little party between friends’ was bullshit.

Sasuke took it all in in mere seconds wondering if he should just go back before his gaze found Naruto’s form. Squinting his eyes to focused on Naruto’s face because of the dim light and to take the time to think, Sasuke could see that the face Naruto was making was unnatural.

Naruto could fool anyone, laughing, smiling and partying like that. Anyone but him. The moment Naruto turned his face in his direction Sasuke could see that his laughter was forced. That his smile was fake - he didn't know how people could be fooled by that smile.

But aside from those signs, what completely gave Naruto’s pain away was his eyes. The usually bright, sparkling with life sky blue eyes were dulled, like sheets of sadness were tarnishing them.

In Sasuke’s opinion Naruto's eyes were a way to his soul. And currently, Sasuke could say that the idiot was doing everything he could to keep inside what he was feeling. It was stupid really. He never understood the blonde’s need to make things look like everything was okay.

The older man could see that something happened during the time he was away. Maybe a mission that didn't end well? - More than what was usual when that happened anyway.

But, from the way Naruto held himself he deduced it wasn't that.

A friend that died, someone he knew? Not it either. He was still somewhat cheerful enough for that to be the reason.

Maybe something triggered a… No, that couldn't be the reason, he wouldn't even be there if that was the case.

Somehow after a few more deliberation with himself, the black haired man couldn't find any of the usual reasons for that dark mood.

The only thing he could come up with and that he came sure of was that it had something to do with Naruto’s inner feelings.

Which was frustrating as hell, seeing as, usually, he could tell with one look what was wrong with him.  But knowing Naruto and the feelings showing on his face he must have done something or was going to do something stupid in relation to that. And that decision he came up with was making him hurt so much he tried to drown it in alcohol.

A feat really amazing considering his healing rate but tonight will be one of those night, Sasuke remarked when he saw the speed the drinks in front of Naruto disappeared.

Because Naruto, he realized, was drinking tonight, not to party, but to forget.

Forget what? That was the question which needed to be answered. And Sasuke would get that answer.

Those observations and reflexions happened in the matter of second. Naruto hadn’t yet seemed to be aware of his presence - even when their gaze crossed showing that he was really going to be wasted tonight as he normally would have jumped in his direction. It didn’t last long though, he saw Ino tap Naruto’s shoulder gesturing in his general direction as Naruto turned his head.

Then, something that warmed his heart happened - not that he would ever admit it to anyone but himself. Even with Naruto way on his way to be completely drunk, when he turned to look at him - again, might he say - it was with a disbelieving look. But also genuine happiness at seeing him there, even from where he stood, on what appeared to be the doorstep, he could see some of Naruto's tiredness lift from his shoulder.

(The fact that his face lit up proved to Sasuke that Naruto hadn’t been aware that he’d been back in town and he knew just who to blame. That manipulating witch. )

Being able to make Naruto feel that way upon first sight and knowing it was thanks to him, was incredible - not that he’d ever admit it to anyone but himself, yes, he knew, he was repeating himself.

However, as soon as that expression crossed Naruto's face it was gone and a frightened look of panic crossed his face. It was so unlike Naruto to fear something, and furthermore in relation to him, that Sasuke tried to get to him before someone could intercept him or Naruto tried to disappear on him to know what the fuck was happening.

It didn't work.

The second he made a move in his friend's direction someone stepped in front of him, blocking his view of the blond and started a conversation.

To fawn over him.

To say absolutely nothing interesting.

He had a moment where he wanted to kill the unknown guy in front of him. Well, more like girl. But same difference. Maybe it showed on his face, or his eyes - it was most likely his eyes that must have bleeded red, his will to hurt or kill her -, because the next thing he knew the guy in front of him had a frightened look and he scampered away, thankfully.

“Shit,” he didn't have as much control as he thought he had, when it concerned Naruto it just flew away through the nearest window. Well, more like door currently, as there was no window in the bar.

Well, at least the pest went away.

But so did Naruto.

“Fuck.”

He looked around to find him only for his sight to fall on his other friend. Which was Sakura. And that was the next best thing, so he went to her. First off, because she was his next closest friend and second, because he had an idea as to why people had been bothering him for the last few days effectively keeping him from his search of a disappearing idiot and why said idiot didn’t have any idea he was back. And he wanted a word or two with her, sure that she knew the reason. Well, more like _was_ the reason.

As he made his way to her he cursed the pink haired girl for her idea to have a ‘party with friends only’ and to come to a nightbar. Too many people wanted to get drunk, dance, rub against one another in the hope that they’ll get laid or something and play some stupid games of flirting in his opinion. It only got worse when people propositioned to him some thing he’d rather never even had heard of.

After a full minute of avoiding, rejecting, glaring and shoving people away from him, Sakura finally looked at him and gave him that grin he knew was trouble. And there ran away his last 0.1% of suspicions of her not being involved in any of the events that had occurred the last few days. The girl didn't even have the decency to look guilty.

He swears one day he’ll make her pay. He didn't know when, where or what he’ll do to her, but it will be _vicious._

  


 

Tonight was the night where Naruto stopped running.

After that discussion with Ino the other night, Sakura had exposed her plan to the blonde who made some useful suggestions in order to improve it.

Once that was done and the plan, from its bigs lines to its minute details, was perfect - because it was _her_ plan, of course it was perfect -, they began to take action and bring everyone in.

People, the next day, had been woken up at ass-o’clock in the morning and every last one of them had been throw from their bed. It was - in the kunoichi's opinion anyway - in order for them to have enough time to wake up, understand what was going on, be on board with the plan, their role - in reality they didn't have a choice, it was either accept or have a meeting with Sakura's fists firsthand, the choice was _very_ easily made - and risking the wrath of two people if the plan fell through due to unexpected events.

So after everyone had agreed to help in Sakura’s plan to make their blond friend stay, they all went to work. Some with more enthusiasm than others - remember, it was either help or Sakura’s fists.

The plan was very simple.

First step, keep Naruto unaware that Sasuke was back by being with him and blocking his sense of Sasuke on the pretend that he was to be gone soon and spending time with him.

Second step, keep Sasuke from going to Naruto while interrogating him to confirm suspicions and make him think about his feelings until the time Sakura choose for them to meet.

It was a bit cruel but necessary - she knew Naruto would have rather been as much as possible with Sasuke before his departure than with any of them, but priorities.

And all that brings them to now, the “party” that was just really bringing all of them in the same place somewhere fun for Naruto to say “goodbye” to them. Naruto didn’t know that they all knew of his predicament. That too was a bit unfair as she promised him secrecy, but, like before, priorities.

Sakura looked around her, everybody was in place and Naruto was surrounded by all his friends. Looking at him, she clicked her tongue not really happy with her friend, he was well on the way to be drunk if not already drunk, that was not how she wanted him but she really couldn’t do anything about that.

She looked at the time, nearly midnight. Shikamaru shouldn’t be far with Sasuke. She turned from her place at the bar to face the door. And, right on time, Shikamaru and Sasuke appeared. She saw Shikamaru head straight for the bar and something to drink.

As for Sasuke, he stopped in the entryway and looked around the room searching for someone - Naruto. She knew the moment he saw him. Sasuke stopped his gaze abruptly and did - something.

Well, not really, you couldn’t really see anything but she felt him… relax? Yes, she was going for that. She felt giddy and impatient of what would come. She couldn’t contain what she was feeling and could only smile. She drank to hide it behind her glass as she continued to observe her teammate.

The black haired man made to move to join Naruto only to be interrupted by some stupid civilian girl that was a fan of him or something? That made Sakura grind her teeth. Tonight really wasn’t the time for that. Stupid civilian!

She, however, rejoiced from the glare Sasuke send to that poor girl - what? couldn’t she change opinion like that? - Sakura thought the girl was going to piss herself before she all but ran from the man.

She saw Sasuke look to where Naruto had been only to have that constipated look on his face before looking at the room again. She locked eyes with him and - against her better judgement - her facial muscles made her smile. That’s when she knew she was screwed and she knew that Sasuke knew what she had done for the last few days. In parts at least.

Sasuke made his way to her. Not in the gentlest of ways. Well, she could understand his frustration. It’s been days that he had been trying to see their mutual blond happy friend and that, everytime he had been close to him, he had been lead elsewhere completely by someone.

After a minute or so of Sasuke shoving people here and glaring at people there, he was finally in front of her. He looked at her with his most frightening glared and she’s not proud to say it sent chills along her spine -not that she’d ever admit it. She decided to play the fool.

“Hey Sasuke! It’s been a couple of days since I last saw you, how are you?”

As expected he didn’t answer her only squinted his eyes more in a threatening manner with a bit of red appearing. Well, if that wasn’t Sasuke when he was pissed she didn’t know what it was.

“Explain,” he bit out.

Too bad for him, that wasn’t in her plan. Well, it was, but not before the two of them sorted out what they had to. And from his attitude it was clear that having forced them apart had been putting on his nerves in a way that meant good business for her.

So, the fool it would be for however long it had to be.

“Explain what?” she asked innocently, frowning to make it look like confusion. She knew Sasuke wouldn’t be fooled, she knew he could force her to tell him but she also knew he wouldn’t do it. Not now anyway, not when he was so close to Naruto.

He looked at her as if saying ‘are you serious?’ and she made a face at him which meant approximately, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’. Well, they became good at reading each other’s face over the years. And due to the previous statement, he could only stare her into saying it, but she wasn’t planning to do so.

“So,” Sakura chirped, because she knew she had won, “what are you planning on doing tonight?” She finish with a big smile because she also liked to play with fire and she knew exactly what he was planning on doing.

Sasuke only looked at her with murder in his eyes, turned to the bar to order a drink and looked around him searching for their blonde friend while waiting.

She slightly started when she heard him talk in her ear - don’t judge, he doesn’t talk much and usually stay to himself, not invading personal bubble, “will you tell me why?”

“Hmm, it depends,” she singsang.

“On what?” well, nobody said he talked much, just a few word at a time. Except with Naruto, again. For the last few days, she wondered how she could have been so blind when it has been practically shoved in her face so many times. Either from Naruto or Sasuke, it was obvious when you looked at things in a different way, like her male best friends being interested in each other.

“You’ll know soon enough,” she said turning to take Sasuke’s drink and give it to him. “If it’s Naruto you’re looking for, he’s in the corner near the dance floor over there.” She added, mirth dancing in her eyes, while gesturing in the general direction.

Sasuke’s eyes focused there and he instantly strided in that direction when he found what he was looking for, not saying any parting word.

Shr snorted, while grinning like a made woman, “obvious much that one.”

As soon as Sasuke departed from her side, Ino took his place.

“You really think this will work?” Ino asked her while the two of them looked at the black-haired man retreating back.

“Yes” she said, “we’ve been preparing the two of them for days. It will work.”

“If you say so,” Ino said rather skeptically, still not convinced.

How she could not be convinced after their exchange just now was anyone's guess, but she supposed she was the one that knew them the best.

She moved to join their friends not wanting to miss what will happen.

 

 

 

Sasuke was quite frustrated by the pinkette. He knew that Sakura knew that he knew that all that had happened since he came back was her fault.

Yet, he also knew that he couldn’t force her to tell him. Well, he _could_ do it but he would not, not after everything, and she knew that. And that was frustrating as hell, scratch that, _Sakura_ was frustrating as hell.

Letting out his frustration with a sigh and keeping his focus on one idiot, he went through the crowd like he went to combat. Which was to say people in his path made way for him until he arrived at his destination.

Kiba was the first one to see him, followed by everyone as the dog-lover made his presence known rather loudly.

“Sasuke! I didn’t think you would really come!”

Sasuke snorted, “ _Sakura_ made the invitation,” he said as if that was enough.

It was.

Everyone made a face knowing exactly what that meant.

Naruto, as he saw earlier, was well on the way to be completely wasted - not that he was not already completely wasted, but for Naruto it was wasted as in the morning after I have a hangover, wow is that how it feels like? - The blond was a bit slow on the uptake.

“Sasuke!” Naruto said while standing up to go to him. The blond somehow managed to come to him without bumping into anything but it was a close call and mostly thanks to their friends that made it possible. Naruto wrapped an arm around his shoulders while talking to him, “I didn’t know you were back! I thought it’d be a bit longer. Well guess I was wrong!” He then laughed.

And that was the fifth mistake he made that night.

The first and second being his looking and disappearing act when Sasuke first entered the room.

The second and third were the slight tone and tremors of his voice while talking and laughing to him.

The fifth one was the fact that Naruto was drunk.

He glared at all the other people present which were just looking at them strangely and/or laughing at Naruto’s antics which he had begun again while still attached to his shoulder.

He spoke, threateningly low but loud enough for them all to hear him, “what happened to him?”

“Hm, what? To who?” was Naruto’s response. Obviously too drunk to catch that he was talking about him.

The others however, about half of them not drunk enough, knew what he was talking about but looked the way he came from.

Sakura. Again.

He sighed, he really had enough of all her manipulation - even if they sometimes were of use, not that he’d ever say that to her.

Naruto - still attached to his side and wobbling dangerously - was currently enjoying himself by having a scream match with Kiba. Not that it was anything unusual, but his ear-drum was currently not very happy with him.

It hadn’t even been half an hour that he’d been here and he already had enough of that place. Taking hold of Naruto’s waist to stabilize him he made to move to the exit.

“Come on, idiot, time to go.” But, alas, it couldn’t be that simple with Naruto.

“What! Why? It’s not even near closing time yet! I don’t want to go.” The blond pouted - no, that was not adorable. “I still have people to say goodbye -hello - to!”

Sasuke looked at him sharply and Naruto seemed to realise what he just said and went to correct himself, “I mean I still have drinks coming up! Look, here they are!” Naruto emphasized by gesticulating in the direction of a waiter coming their way with more drinks.

‘Too late, moron,’ he thought. “I don’t care, I don’t like it here. You’re waisted, you’re coming with me.”

Then again, a normal Naruto would never go with him like that. A drunk Naruto even less.

The blond let go of him and pushed him away the best he could without stumbling back, it didn’t really work. Sasuke took Naruto’s elbow to stabilize the moron while he spoke.

“I don’t want to go, it’s a party, you don’t leave early from a party. I’m not drunk, I won’t leave. Leave alone if you want!” He made to turn on himself and go god knows where because he wasn’t facing the table he had just been at. However, because _yes_ Naruto was drunk, he tripped over nothing and was only safe from face planting on the wood flooring of the dance floor by Sasuke’s hand on his arm that saved him.

“You were saying?” Sasuke said, because really it hadn’t even be a few second since Naruto’s speech that already something happen to prove Sasuke right.

The reaction he got however was not what he was expecting. Not at all. Even drunk Naruto had always found something to say back to him. Never had he been like this before.

The blond was wearing a defeated look on his face. No, it was more like he was about to break. Sucking in a breath, Sasuke was startled, because that was not a facial expression he ever thought he would see on the happy go lucky guy that Naruto was.

“I can still go on. I don’t want to leave…” Naruto muttered once he was on his own two feet again and facing him. Then again another clue that just confirmed something was wrong with Naruto.

Sensing their friends staring at them and not wanting to have that kind of conversation around them, he agreed with the blond, “alright. We’re not leaving that place, but you’re coming with me, I want to talk to you.”

The wait till Naruto approved felt like an eternity when it really was just a few second. He knew that if the blond hadn’t agreed, it would have been impossible to drag him elsewhere. Currently Sasuke was searching for a place that was less crowded, had more fresh air than near the dance floor and where they could hear each other without so much noise either.

He found the right place by the corner of the left side of the entryway. Well, more like he made the place by glaring at some people but that’s just a detail.

“Sit,” he ordered his friend. And it was saying something that the blond man didn’t argue with him about it, he loved to argue and be contradictory, especially with him. Sasuke just stood in front of Naruto while the later relaxed some on the bench.

And, well, from what he gathered from Naruto in the short time they were together that night, he went for the kill blow while Naruto was still head deep into the alcohol he drank that night.

“What do you mean you’re leaving?”

Naruto open his eyes while sucking his breath in. Really, that guy was like an open book with every word written so big you couldn't miss them if you tried.

“What do you mean? I’m not leaving. I never said that! Who said that?”

“You just did and confirmed it just now, you moron,” Naruto’s interjection of ‘hey’ was ignored by the raven, “and you can’t hide shit from me. So, what is that about you leaving? What is it that you can still go on about?”

That expression on Naruto’s face he knew.

“And don’t lie to me, you suck at that. Now, the truth.” Sasuke demanded narrowing his eyes.

“I’m… hum, going on an expanded mission. ” Naruto replied.

“Which means how long?”

“I don’t know.”

The glare he send Naruto was explanatory enough as to why the blond sinked a little more in his seat. “How. Long.”

“A few… Years?”

“Why?” He dug because that didn’t make sense and the way Naruto was flinching back was anything but normal. It wasn’t just a secret mission that was confidential, something was up and he’d find what.

The next few minutes would forever change his life - not that he knew right then - and he would never be more thankful that he didn’t let go.

As no response came from his friend as Naruto seemed to try and come with some excuse. He felt himself bend down and cage Naruto on the bench with his arm.

“Why?” He repeated looking straight in Naruto’s eyes challenging him to look away. Naruto was looking more and more desperate.

The blonde swallowed and opened his mouth a couple of time before saying something. “Because I asked for it.”

For Sasuke it was like a cold shower. Showing as little emotion as possible, still looking in Naruto’s eyes he demanded again, “why?”

“Because I… I need it.”

“Why?”

“Cause I need to… get away…from…” Naruto strayed, he mouth moved after that last word but nothing came out. And as Sasuke’s eyes were focused on Naruto’s to prevent him to stop confessing and his sharingan wasn’t activated he didn’t catch what Naruto said. So he pressed on still leaning on his friend and caging him. While the blond man was curling up on himself.

“From what?”

“...too hard,” was all Sasuke could catch, but that didn’t make sense without context. And Naruto was unable to form any words at this point. His mouth opened and closed without any word ever forming after that. His gaze stayed away from Sasuke’s, it was obvious that he felt cornered and didn’t know what to do or say. The inebriated state he was in didn’t help him at all. Which was precisely why Sasuke pressed on.

“From what?” Sasuke asked.

“... Y-you.”

And at that, he closed his eye for a few seconds, he wished he hadn’t asked anything. It felt like his chest was constricted until he wasn’t able to breath anymore. Like someone had just cut into his gut and pulled his heart with their bare hands. Like his heart had been constricted until he shattered. Everything felt numb.

But.

That couldn’t be all! Naruto would not betray him, not like that. Telling him that he wanted to leave _because_ of him. That couldn't be possible. Not after everything they went through.

Sasuke’s hands were now white from how strong his hold on the bench was from either side of Naruto’s head. His eye were still staring at Naruto who couldn’t stand looking at him anymore and had folded folding his limbs around himself until just a ball stayed. His arm all wrapped up around his pulled up leg and his forehead was resting between his knees. The blond man was the personification of the guy who didn’t want to be asked and didn't want to answer anything anymore.

But, just before the blond had broken eye contact with him, Sasuke saw something that was _anything_ but betrayal, and that made him hope, hope for another reason than betrayal. And he could breathe again. That’s why one last time, closing his eyes and praying for it to be true, he asked:

“Why?”

And Naruto to whisper:

“Because I love you.”

  


 

When Sasuke took Naruto away from their table Sakura was just behind her two boys. For one, she was so damn curious about what they were going to talk about, and she was a bit anxious about what it was going to do to the two of them.

Once her teammate seemed to find a place to their liking - Sasuke’s liking -, and the former occupant left the place vacant, Naruto sat down after the raven seemed to have ordered it. It was so typically Sasuke that it didn't register that Naruto had just followed the order.

It intrigued her immensely, so she did what every curious person did: she made her way over to them in order to see both their face and catch a bit of what they were saying. She started when Ino, the one who helped her from the beginning, stuck on her back in order to have the same view as her.

She turned around only to see that every single one of them was either within hearing range or near enough to see the faces of their two friends. Making it so that no-one could disturb the two men. Some were still sceptic about the whole thing, but still as curious. She returned to her observation.

At first, it seemed that it was their usual banter with Naruto denying anything Sasuke said without really listening. Naruto being his irritating self and Sasuke being irritated.

But soon, Sasuke took a more angry approach of Naruto. The later due to his inebriated state couldn't do much more than comply to anything Sasuke did to him and Naruto found himself being caged by Sasuke’s arm on either side of his head.

As the interrogation went on on Sasuke's part, for it was an interrogation, Sasuke being as calm as ever - except for that little something that Sakura couldn't place but was telling enough that the standing man wasn't as calm as it seemed - Naruto became more and more subdued until he was only a ball.

A few second later, everyone of their group could see the broken and betrayed look Sasuke sported on his face for the broefest of moment before he could control it. But his hand were still visible and they could all see the bench doing something it wasn't supposed to do.

At that moment Sakura wasn't so sure that her idea was so wise anymore and stood up to make her way over to them in order to stop that mess. The mess that only she was responsible for. The only thing that prevented her from going was Ino’s sudden grip on her arm yanking her back.

And she would forever be grateful to Ino stopping her at that moment, because just after that Sasuke seemed to regain his composure and talked again, asking something, and Naruto seemed to have answered something.

The next thing they saw was something that was not mean to be seen by anyone in this room but Naruto.

That was the face of someone relieved and filling with love that it was heartbreaking. She could hear Ino take a trembling breath and see in her peripheral vision all the other do the same.

A big smile made her way on her face as just from the look of Sasuke’s face she had been proven right to all the sceptic ones of their friends.

She continued to look at the event unfolding in front of her eyes with her heart in her throat and tears that she refused to let fall as she was so happy for her two best friends.

  


 

After the declaration from Naruto, Sasuke felt himself being filled with overflowing joy and love for the idiot in front of him who thought Sasuke didn't love him. As if that was possible.

He knew his face was doing something he didn't want be he couldn't stop it anymore that he could stop breathing.

He saw Naruto being shaken by slight tremor. Releasing his death grip of the bench he slowly crouched down in front of Naruto until his face was at the same level as Naruto’s.

With a gentle hand he took Naruto’s chin until he could see the crying face of the blond. His blue, blue eyes were opened wide in terror like his world, after his confession to Sasuke, was ending.

Sasuke's hand went to the blonde’s cheek while his other hand came up to cradle his idiot’s face, his thumbs stoking the tear trays away from Naruto’s cheek in vain. The look of his face must really be something because Naruto's eyes widen just so and he took a shuddering breathe in.

“S-Sasuke?” the jinchuuriki’s voice was so quiet that Sasuke couldn't hear it above the music and chattering happening around them. But he knew that his soon to be lover’s voice - and he wouldn't allow the other to run away from him not after that - was trembling.

“Let’s go home, I’ll take you back. I won't let you alone. Not anymore.”

And Naruto went with him.


	5. The Last Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand here it is! The end!
> 
> I hope you liked my story and I hope you will like the end.  
> I want to thank you all, those who read the story, who liked it, who left Kudos, who bookmarked it and subscibed to it and those who commented it. It made me really happy to know that for a first story it's not that bad. :)
> 
> Again, English is not my first language so if you see some mistakes please tell me!
> 
> A last time, please leave kudos and comments if you liked the story, it makes me happy! :)
> 
> So this is goodbye for now as I have a few idea that I'd like to writte and share, maybe we'll see each other again.
> 
> Kiss everyone!

The first thing he became aware of, as he slowly came back from the land of dreams, was that he was feeling really warm. 

Not warm in the sense that it was too hot in the room, but warm in a good way. 

Like he was being protected. Like he was being held rather strongly, just so that it wasn't uncomfortable but procured him a sense of rightness. Just as if he was where he had always wanted to be. 

He felt so good that he made himself sink further into that warmness.

The second thing he became aware of was that he was feeling rather bad and if the taste in his mouth meant anything, that meant that a lot of alcohol had been involved to induce that headache. 

As he tried to remember how he came to drink so much - he knew the why, trying to forget by alcohol, then trying to be strong by alcohol when he saw Sasuke in the nightbar - he wiggled his body nearer where the heat was coming from in order to keep himself in his half state of wakefulness and half state of still being asleep. 

As he began to remember what happened the night before, - while still trying to bury himself in the comfort of the arms around him - horror began to make its way into his brain. 

He pressed his eyelids together. He didn't want to wake up. Never again. He wanted to die. 

How could he have done that? Couldn’t he closes his mouth for two more days? It wasn't that difficult damn it! 

His fucking drunken self couldn't shut up for anything. Why did he think drinking was a good idea? Oh yeah, because everyone says that it makes you forget your trouble for a bit and that you forgot everything the next day. 

Fucking liar the whole lot of them. 

But that was his fault too. He knew that even if, with great effort, he could get drunk enough to have a hangover the next morning, it never made him feel better and he never forgot what he did and said in the very instances that he had been wasted. 

Which meant that he remembered everything that happened with Sasuke and his surroundings. 

Which meant that he knew all his friends were there,  _ looking _ , hearing and seeing what happened the night before. Even if some of them were showing him their back and mostly just preventing people from coming to them, the other weren’t as subtle. But that also meant that they  _ knew, _ even before he went and confessed. Which couldn’t be, because the last time he check nobody even had the mere idea it could be. Which meant  _ Sakura _ .... And  _ that…  _ that was  _ not  _ okay with him. Really not. And just for a bit, he was even more glad to leave the next morning without having to see her. He hadn’t told her when he would leave. 

For now though...

Most of all, he remembered his pathetic drunk love confession to his best friend, the man of his thoughts. Who didn't say anything to him in answer. 

But.

_ But _ .

But the way he treated him after he said it the look on his face…

‘Could mean nothing, stop dreaming me, he must be long since gone.’

And, again, he wanted to die. Even his own thoughts were torturing him. Not to say that Kurama was snickering in the back of his mind. The fucker. 

The more he remembered the more he sought more of the warmth that was surrounding him, wanting to just forget the whole debacle. He felt tears rolling on his cheeks. 

That's when he felt the warmth against him  _ really  _ move and a hand come to rest against his face while a thumb tried to dry the tears. 

He was awake in mere seconds, his eyes popped open so fast he wasn't ready for the light of the sun coming through the window. He had to close them again, and didn’t see who it was.

The advantage to that awakening was that now he wasn't crying anymore and he knew that the ‘warmth’ was that another person was with him in bed. 

Someone he didn't felt threatened by. 

That's when the last bit of his memories came back and his breath got caught in his throat. 

Sasuke. Sasuke was the one in bed with him. Sasuke who told him they’ll talk in the morning when he would be sober. 

And now he really,  _ really  _ didn't want to open his damn eyes. Just pretend to be asleep as long as he could just so he could take the feeling of Sasuke’s arm around him on his journey. 

That ‘as long as he could’ turned out to be even shorter than he thought, a few second only. Because he could feel Sasuke laugh and trying to not move to not disturb him. Which proved to be a lost cause as he could feel the taller man’s body shake with laughter. 

Resigning himself to move away from those comforting arms, he opened his eyes and prepared himself to push himself up. Only to be stopped by the look in the dark eyes just in front of him and the arms around him tightening just a bit more as if to tell him to no move away. 

It was the same look he had imagined on Sasuke when he had been forced to look at him after his confession yesterday. 

Except, now, he was awake, sober, even his head hurted a bit and the light was bright so no confusion could be made. 

Which meant that the  _ look  _ might not have been a dream. 

Maybe. 

Or someone was doing him a really cruel joke. What a depressing thought that was. 

Well, either way, real Sasuke or fake Sasuke, the guy, in front of him was letting him wake up slowly, just observing him with those eyes full of… something he didn't want to acknowledge - if the black haired guy in front of his really was Sasuke it would be the best day of his life, if the guy was a fake, he would just go to Tsunade and try to have that fucking authorisation to leave today, right after kicking the ass of the guy - , until he was aware enough to understand someone talking to him. 

Well, at least the guy knew that he was slow going when he had a hangover - which was maybe worse as, if he was a fake Sasuke, it meant that it was a friend of his, knowing his deepest guarded secret, who was doing the prank, he might not ever forgive that person, even after killing them - he had more and more dark thoughts this day, that could be dangerous.

When the guy in front of him knew his was aware enough for a conversation he talked. His eyes dancing with… something. 

“You remember yesterday night, don't you?”

Well, it was spoken like a question but it really was just a statement. Or a demand. One point on the real Sasuke column in his mind table. 

The bastard didn't ask he demanded. Always. That was quite reassuring. And he relaxed just so. 

But, well, as he was still conflicted as to what to do. On the one hand if it was Sasuke he couldn't lie, it was impossible with him. One the other hand if it was random guy taking Sasuke’s appearance he could just say something afterward. So he just opted for the easiest way out and, with his face guarded, nodded. 

The guy snorted. Well, there, another point in real Sasuke bastard column. 

“So you remember saying you wanted to leave because of me.”

“Yeah.” the answer came out strangled - he wanted to strangle past drunk-Naruto.

Well, there again point for real Sasuke. The only way random guy could know what they had said was if it was Sasuke himself or one of his closest friends - like watching them like a show wasn’t enough. Or maybe it was not Sasuke from the beginning - or any of his friends, be optimistic! - and the guy wasn't even back yet. 

And now he was starting to panic. He breathe becoming shorter. If Sasuke wasn't back it meant he wouldn't see him before a long, long time and that just. That was crushing him. 

“Hey, hey, Naruto, stay with. I’m here you're fine. We’re both fine. I’m not going anywhere, not anymore.” came the soothing voice of Sasuke. 

It took him some time but eventually he was calm enough to understand what Sasuke was saying to him. Yes, he had decided to trust the man was who he was saying he was. 

“Sorry. I- Sorry.” Naruto finished lamely. Only to be shushed soothingly. 

“Sh, it’s okay, it’s okay, I don't care. You don't have anything to be sorry for.”

Well, that sentence could either be really good or really bad. And there again, his mind, which was not used to be happy - not like that anyway -, was beginning to panic again, until it was cut short by the next sentence Sasuke said. 

“You’re mine now, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“What does… Y-yours?”

Sasuke hummed with a smile on his face. If he didn't already know that Sasuke could smile like that to him he would have thought that the guy had either been replaced or had been hit in the head. 

“Hn, remember what you said to me yesterday before I took you home? I want to hear it again.”

Naruto cleared his throat, twice. He couldn't quite manage to speak right now. 

“Now?”

Sasuke just threw him one of his  _ look _ and he knew he had lost. 

“I,” well that was harder than when he was drunk. But also easier as he’d already said it to the man once. He took a big breath and let it go all at once while squeezing his eyes shut, “I love you.”

Nothing came back. And his heart started sinking. He opened his eyes expecting the worst only to be met with the most loving eyes he’d ever seen directed at him. 

His breath was caught in his throat, again, and tears threatened to fall anew, until they did when he heard what he thought he never would hear in his life coming from the man in front of him. 

“I love you, too.”

He felt arms bringing him close to the body in front of him. A solid, warm, real body. Not something made of his dreams like so many times before.

He stayed like this a bit more until his emotional roller-coaster settled down and his mind shut down deciding that anything else could wait a bit for him to wake up for good. 

  
  


Later that day when Naruto woke up again, still in the arms of the man he loved, that loved him back, he felt a ball of something in his throat, his emotions overwhelming him.

That man, the man in front of him was  _ his _ . That is not something he ever thought could happen. Even in his dreams it never,  _ ever _ went well. 

He wanted that moment to never end. He moved his hand until the tip of his finger was touching and exploring the line of the face in front of him. His touch was feather like, not wanting to awake the man but also not quite believing that he was allowed to touch now. 

But, alas, reality came back to slap him in the face when he looked a the wall behind Sasuke, only to see what day it was. 

Sunday, it was Sunday. And he was leaving on Monday. They had less than a day left together. 

He couldn't not go. He loved his village, the villagers, his friends - even with their invasion of his feelings -, he did. But he needed to get away. Needed to see the world. All his life he’d been trapped in his village, in the role of a jinchuuriki, first without his knowledge and then with it. He’d been treated like a monster, a beast at first. Then like a container all his life and he wanted more. Or maybe less. 

He wanted to go to places not yet known by the Shinobi world. See how other country were functioning. See how ‘normal’ people lived. 

But that meant going and leaving without Sasuke. It would break his heart to leave the man now that he had him but he  _ needed _ to go. 

 

Sasuke look at the man in his arms. His hold tight around the body of his love. Something that he didn't think he’d had the right to have. Not after everything he’d done to others and specifically to Naruto. 

For the second time that day he looked at the man he loved waking up in his arms. He looked at him as he opened his eyes, he looked at him as he realized that this was real, as he touched his face with wonder. 

But also as his mood began to sour. Until Naruto’s face was just heartbreaking. He wanted to ask what was wrong be he knew he couldn't, not now anyway. He knew he should wait for the smaller man to share his thought with him. 

He was rewarded for his patience not long after that. 

“When I told you yesterday that I was leaving because of you. That was true.”

And, wow, didn't that hurt, even if he knew they were okay now it was still hard to think that he had driven him to those extremes. 

“But,” Naruto continued, “it wasn't the only reason that made me make that choice. I’m saying that I still want to leave. And I’m still leaving tomorrow.” And now he could see tears once again in the face of the man he loved. He voice clearly had difficulties coming out but he still bravely continued, “because, I need to  _ be  _ \- to find myself. I need to be something else than just a ninja, a hero for some, a jinchuuriki for most. I want to be me. I-”

“I know, I understand.” Sasuke cut him, calm, already thinking of ways to be with him still. 

“I love you, I need you, but I can not stay.” Naruto said again to be sure that Sasuke understood. 

“I know, ” Sasuke’s answered repeatedly for Naruto’s sake. “Let’s make the best of what we have left of today okay?”

“Yeah, okay, let’s.”

That's how just the two of them spend the rest of the day going to places together to make memories to last for the journey Naruto would take, which would be for an indefinite time. 

At night, Naruto went to sleep in the arms of his boyfriend for what he thought to be the first and last time for a long long time. 

 

Morning came, it was early when he woke up. Sasuke a reassuring presence next to him. And like the last two times he woke up in bed with him, Sasuke’s arms were tightly wrapped around him. 

He took his time to take in, by sight and by touch, the feature of the face he would miss the most of all.

He knew what they did, that in the end it was thanks to them he was here today with Sasuke with him. However, it was hard to think about it like that. When he took the time to think about it he knew that they had kept them apart for days. Days he would have loved to spend with Sasuke as always even if at that time he thought it would be impossible for them to be together.

They had been near them when finally they had bared themself to each other, keeping away other people from the nightclub. But they had all seen them, heard them and that was something hard to swallow for the both of them.

Thinking about it, it felt like they had been interesting, pretty animals behind a glass wall to look at. That was something he couldn’t quite stomac.

But the worst of it all was Sakura’s betrayal. He knew that she had shared his feelings with the lot of them. To think that for days he had been but a mere puppet in their hand made him angry. Angry like never before. Even with the better intentions in the world it still hurt him to think that he couldn’t trust in Sakura and them all like he did before.

He didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye to them, but the thought of seeing them all just made him simmer with anger. He didn’t want to say something he could regret later when he came back, that’s why he had decided to not see them one last time. 

Thinking about it made him sad that Sasuke would have to deal with their forms of betrayal of them both after he left.

He look at Sasuke as he woke up slowly, smiling at him as he was smiled at. 

They took their time waking up and preparing. One to leave. One to say goodbye for who knew how long, but most certainly years. 

Once everything was said and done the two of them made their way to the gate of Konoha, the place they called their own, the place they both swore to protect. 

Sasuke took Naruto’s hand in his and waved their fingers together, unashamed. Let people see that their hero was his in a way nobody but him would have. 

Naruto threw curious looks at Sasuke. He was wearing the same gear as when he went for long missions. He knew that Sasuke went away that night for something, and it seemed like even just coming back he was being sent away again. Not that it was that unusual but they usually had at least a week of rest. But he didn't want to ask. He wanted this time to be just for the two of them. And maybe they could head in the same direction before duty called Sasuke. 

At the gate, they stopped waiting for Tsunade, the woman having promised to give the authorization to leave to Naruto there. 

Sasuke took it upon him to embrace him from behind while making them lean against one of the sidewall of the gate. The weight of the arms of the black haired man grounding him before he went away.

He was surprised, while waiting, by said man when he began lazily humming while his chin was resting on his shoulder. He took the time to relax and close his eyes. 

Not long after the humming began, it abruptly stopped. Naruto opened his eyes to look at what was happening only to see Tsunade and Sakura coming their way. He could feel anger radiating from within himself and from behind him, arms tightening up around him.

Even with Tsunade and Sakura stopping a few feet away from them Sasuke didn't let him go, like he wanted to protect him from Sakura. And it made him very confident about this thing between them. After a glance in the Pinkett direction, they both ignored her and thanks to that they didn’t see the look of regret on her face.

“Hey brat, I have what you asked of me, ” Tsunade said holding out two rolls of paper while first looking at Naruto then at Sasuke. Sasuke maybe as surprised to see the second one. 

“Why do you have two sets of the same roll?” Naruto dumbly asked not wanting to get his hopes up. 

“Ask the parasite attached to your back,” Tsunade said looking pointedly at Sasuke then pointed her thumbs behind her toward Sakura while her face exuded disapproval, “then ask my stupid disciple.” 

“What?” Naruto asked a bit dumbfounded. 

 

_ After making sure Naruto was asleep, he took off in the direction of a well known tower in the village.  _

_ Entering the office without knocking or announcing himself he didn't wait a second to accuse her, “you knew he was leaving and said nothing.” His right hand slamming on her desk.  _

_ “And? What does it matter to you? He asked me to say nothing, I respected his wish.”  _

_ “I don’t care what you did. I’m leaving with him authorisation or not, to hell with the consequences. I’ll become a missing nin again if it mean I get to be with him. So, find a way for me to be with him, ” he demanded while retreating to the corridor,not waiting for her answer. Before leaving he added, “please.” _

_ He didn't see the smile that stretched Tsunade’s lips behind the closed door, while a figure finally move from where it was laying before the boy barged in.  _

_ “See? I told you so, hope you have it, ”  hummed the figure with glee in her voice while holding her hand up waiting for her due.  _

_ “So you did Sakura, so you did,” the hokage said  while giving her due to Sakura. “I’m glad I lost that bet. ” _

_ “And? Do you have it?” pressed the Pinkett. _

_ “Yes I do, I made it my priority since you came to me. But I hope that you know what you lost in doing so”  _

_ The sad eyes and grin she was graced with and the happiness she knew it would bring Naruto was worth the pain in the ass it had been to make it happen in less than a week, especially considering it was Sasuke. _

 

Naruto doesn't quite know what to say. 

First off, Sasuke is coming with him. 

Second off, he won’t become a missing nine as he had explicit authorisation to do so and that was awesome.

Third off, Naruto just understood that Sakura made it happen even with her twisted way of doing so and hurting him. 

Turning just enough in the arms of his now lover to see him as he asked, “did you know … ?” he couldn't finish the sentence. 

“No. But I had planned to go with you either way.”

At that a loving smile spread on Naruto’s lips. 

Taking a step out of Sasuke’s comforting arms he went for Sakura stopping in front of her before taking her in a tight hug that she returned. 

Before releasing her he whispered, “I can’t forgive you for what you did, for breaking my trust but - thank you. So much. I wouldn't have him like that,”  _ free, not tracked _ , he added in his head, “if not for you.”

“I know, I’m sorry for that,” she said sadly.

Releasing each other, Naruto went to Tsunade to hold her close too. “Thank you, it wouldn't have been be possible without you, Grandma.”

“Just promise me to be happy.”

He took a step back to Sasuke, preparing to leave and discover himself, Sasuke and them together, finally. 

“Sasuke, Naruto!” Tsunade called them back, she waited until they turned to face her,  “to thank me promise me you’ll both be back. Don't wait 10 years. And send news so we know you’re not dead in the meantime.”

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other before turning one last time to face Konoha. It would be a long time before either of them would be seen in their birth village. 

“We promise.”


End file.
